Imitate JESUS – Obey the Father

In the best case scenario, children obey their parents, even when they’d rather have their own way. We obey out of respect for parental authority but, ultimately, we obey out of love. 

Obedience secures our children's safety and well-being and makes for harmony in the home. On the other hand, chronic disobedience by even one child in the home impacts the entire family negatively. 

Disobedience breeds chaos.

As with our natural families, the children of GOD obey our Heavenly Father out of respect for His Sovereign authority (His omnipotence) and love. In addition, GOD the Father is omniscient and His knowledge is superior to all human understanding. 

To disobey GOD is sin, plain and simple. The Bible equates disobedience to “rebellion” and the sin of idol worship.” (1 Samuel 15:23)

JESUS knew the Father better that anyone and the gravity of disobedience in GOD’s sight so His entire life principle was about obedience to His Father; and by this GOD was glorified in Him.

I came down from heaven to do what GOD wants Me to do, not what I want to do. John 6:38 (New Century Version)

 “Obedience with Him (JESUS) did not mean a single act of obedience now and then, nor even a series of acts, but the spirit of His whole life. …The one supreme, all-controlling power of His life was obedience.” Christian Author and Pastor Andrew Murray (1828 - 1917)

Like JESUS, GOD’s children must obey the Father. Why? Because we are one family.

As new creations in CHRIST, we take on His likeness. Together we are the family of GOD and together we do the will of GOD. We are sharing a life in common with JESUS. Our obedience is confirmation of our divine familial bond with the Father and the SON:

“For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven, that person is My brother and sister and mother.”  Matthew 12:50. If you love me, you will do what I have said, and my Father will love you. I will also love you and show you what I am like. John 14:21

JESUS is the first-born of our Heavenly family; He leads and we follow. He doesn’t just tell us what to do, He actually shows us how to be just like him. (Romans 8:29)

JESUS did not fall down to earth one day and accomplish His assignment the next day. He lived a life that was a progression of growth through obedience – And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with GOD and man. Luke 2:52.  By the time He was ready to begin His journey to the cross the Father was able to say of Him, “This is my own dear Son, and I am pleased with him.” Matthew 3:17

Each act of obedience to the Father’s will took JESUS to new places of discovery and greater acts. He went from turning water into wine, to feeding thousands with food enough for just one person, to raising the dead – and ultimately His own resurrection. And every act JESUS performed, every word He spoke, put the Father on display before the world. (The Father who lives in me does these things. John 14:10)

At each juncture of His journey on earth up to the cross, the Father was glorified, because JESUS was unrelenting in His obedience to GOD’s will. “I have brought glory to you here on earth by doing everything you gave me to do.” John 17:4

We could never go wrong by following JESUS’ example and doing everything the Father tells us. We would only be doing what we agreed to by faith when we accepted JESUS as Savior and LORD. 

We’re doing the good work that GOD ordained for us before the beginning of time to bring glory to His Name.

For this we are promised that:

• Just as the Father acknowledged His “dear SON” He will acknowledge us with His love and His constant presence in our lives. John 14:23
• We will never struggle on our own – the Holy Spirit will help us and remind us when we are in doubt or falter. John 14:26
• We will never have cause to fear or worry and always have peace. John 14:27

Conclusion

A child of GOD will know only restlessness and discontent when outside the will of GOD.

With total obedience we gain spiritual wisdom, have great success with contentment, and enjoy the continuing love, presence and recognition of our Father.

Ultimately, we fulfill our life purpose just as CHRIST JESUS, the family First-Born, did His – 

We glorify our Father in Heaven so our joy in Him will be complete.

Prayer and Thanksgiving: Holy and Righteous Father, thank You for JESUS our Savior and LORD and Teacher. He Who has shown us what full obedience is up to death on a cross. Help us, Father, to give ourselves completely to Your divine power at work in us through the Holy Spirit who daily guides us to the Truth and to doing Your will for Your Name and Your glory. To you belong all dominion and power for ever and ever. We pray and ask all things in the Name of JESUS. Amen.

Always by God’s Word and prayer,

Cecile

Imitate JESUS – Put Others First

You know about the kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ. He was rich, yet for your sake he became poor in order to make you rich through his poverty. 2 Corinthians 8:9

CHRIST JESUS gave up His divinity and His place in heaven with the Father and came to earth as a man. He did it with full knowledge and awareness that His time here would end with His death on a cross. Philippians 2:6-8

JESUS was fully man with human desires and emotions which the New Testament Scriptures confirm. We read that JESUS got tired. He was thirsty and hungry, and He became upset at injustices; showed great fear and sorrow as His time of His passion; and JESUS cried when His friend Lazarus died.

For His entire ministry on earth JESUS also suffered harsh and unfair treatment from many, including His own family. But He remained selfless towards others who needed what He had to give, and without favoritism.

We who are the children of GOD should also do the same. In your lives you must think and act like Christ Jesus. Philippians 2:5

CHRIST is our perfect example for selflessness.

One of JESUS’ best known miracles is the multiplication of the loaves and fish (Matthew 14.)

We can agree that someone who feeds 5,000 plus people with a meager five loaves and three small fish is no ordinary human being. This miracle proved that JESUS had divine powers. But just hours prior to this an event took place in JESUS’ life that proved He was also as human as the next person.    

John the Baptist, JESUS’ beloved cousin, had been executed by the reigning King, Herod Antipas. An act of revenge provoked by Herod’s current wife, Herodias, who hated John because he publicly chastised the couple for their adultery. Matthew 14: 3-11.

When Jesus heard what had happened to John, he left in a boat and went to a lonely place by himself. Matthew 14: 12-13a

Like any of us would be, JESUS was devastated by the news of John’s execution and His immediate and human reaction was to withdraw from others and grieve the death of John in private. Except, He never got the chance. At least not then. Instead, JESUS chose to do for others.

The crowds heard about it and followed him on foot from the towns. When he arrived, he saw a great crowd waiting. Matthew 14:13b-14

A crowd was waiting for JESUS when the boat docked. Sick and troubled people, desperate for healing, for a word, a touch, for comfort. And JESUS responds, not with irritation, or dismay, or frustration but with compassion (Matthew 14:14.)  Despite His own personal distress and suffering, JESUS immediately sets aside His own sorrow, His need for comfort, and He comforts others.

For hours JESUS gave relief instead of seeking His own. He healed the sick and broken-hearted, comforted and counseled and prayed. JESUS had what these people needed and He held nothings back. And when the disciples would have sent the crowd away hungry JESUS refused to allow it. 

“They don’t need to go away. You give them something to eat.” Matthew 14:16

So, He fed them.

These miracles took place through divine power but it was human empathy and compassion for the suffering of others that made it happen.

Believers must imitate CHRIST in how we respond to others in need.

Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. Philippians 2:4

JESUS always did what pleased His Father. “The One who sent me is with me. I always do what is pleasing to him, so he has not left me alone.” John 8:29

If we claim GOD to be our Father, then we too must have the same attitude as JESUS and do everything to please our Father. (Ephesians 5:10; 2 Corinthians 5:9).

Twice in the New Testament GOD speaks from heaven and declares to those present and the world at large that JESUS is His beloved SON, He’s pleased with JESUS, and we should pay attention to Him.  Matthew 3:17; 17:5 

We can hardly go wrong if we believe what GOD declares about His SON and when following JESUS means pleasing the Father.

Because GOD is always very specific about His will, He gives plenty of direct commands for what He wants:

• Do not forget to do good to others, and share with them, because such sacrifices please God. Hebrews 13:16
• Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. Ephesians 2:4
• Suppose someone has enough to live and sees a brother or sister in need, but does not help. Then God’s love is not living in that person. 1 John 3:17
• Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2
• When we have the opportunity to help anyone, we should do it. Galatians 6:10
• Being kind to the poor is like lending to the Lord; He will reward you for what you have done. Proverbs 19:17
•  I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’ Deuteronomy 15:11
• Do to others what you would want them to do to you. Luke t6:31
• Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. 1 Corinthians 10:24
• Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it. Proverbs 3:27

Selflessness puts GOD first in our lives and this pleases Him.

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

GOD doesn’t ask from us miracles of multiplication and healing. He asks only that we obey His will. Because He wants us to succeed and accomplish what He has planned for our individual life purpose, GOD gave each of us unique talents and resources.

I like what Christian author Dallas Willard (1935-2013) says about GOD’s designed plan for us: "God created us very like himself (in his image), but every one of us is unique. An original, not a copy. We each are made to assume the role of a particular child of God, and our uniqueness ties in with our unique purpose. God has ensured us a special place and purpose, giving us tasks that he specifically wants us to accomplish in our time and in our place.”

Our cup continually overflows with divine blessing and never runs dry. All that we are and have come from GOD, is perfect and adequate for our needs with enough to share.

We lose nothing when we put the needs of others first, we gain everything. We gain our Father’s pleasure, His enduring love and His constant presence in our lives. So, we are able to boast like JESUS that 

“…(the Father) has not deserted me. For I always do what pleases Him.” John 8:29

Prayer and Thanksgiving: Holy and Righteous Father, to Your name be glory and honor for ever. Thank You for JESUS our Teacher, Savior and LORD. Increase our passion to do YOUR will, to learn servant-hood from the Master Servant so we can please YOU by giving back that which YOU have given to us for YOUR purpose. To you belong all dominion and power for ever and ever. We pray and ask all things in the Name of JESUS. Amen.

Always by God’s Word and prayer,

Cecile